NOW Broadband Review 2024 - Is NOW Broadband Any Good?
Review article by Steve Tattersall, Broadband Technology Writer, last updated 21 June 2024
What We Like (Pros): Cheaper broadband compared to others, broadband with no contract also available, compatible with Sky TV packages, quick call answering time when I tested phoning them (1 minute, 10 seconds)
What We Dislike (Cons): No Total Wi-Fi option to extend Wi-Fi signal to every corner of your home, high upfront fee for no contract broadband, no gift cards or other incentives for new customers
Our Verdict: 4 out of 5 
In this review: 1. Introduction 2. NOW Broadband - At a glance 3. NOW Broadband speeds & performance 4. NOW Broadband prices 5. Comparable services: NOW Fibre versus BT Fibre & Sky Fibre 6. NOW Broadband home phone review 7. NOW package & router details 8. NOW Entertainment Membership 9. Switching, installation & setup 10. NOW Broadband customer service 11. Questions & answers 12. Our final verdict on NOW Broadband
1. Introduction
As you're likely to know, NOW, the Internet television service owned by Sky plc, offers the best of pay TV, but without a contract. Customers can enjoy Sky Sports, Sky Cinema & Sky Entertainment on flexible day, weekly or monthly memberships.
NOW Broadband, which uses the same Openreach network as Sky Broadband, is a no contract broadband offering from NOW. Users can enjoy totally unlimited fibre broadband including phone line rental and without a contract from just £23 a month.
In this review, we take a closer look at NOW Broadband, uncovering what their download speeds are really like and whether their customer service is any good. We'll tell you what we like and dislike about NOW Broadband and compare NOW with Sky and BT. It's then up to you to decide whether you want to switch to them. If you do, you can start your NOW Broadband order from this page.
2. NOW Broadband - At A Glance
- Average broadband speeds: Superfast Broadband 61Mbps (powered by Sky), Full Fibre 75Mbps (powered by Sky), Full Fibre 100Mbps (powered by Sky)
- NOW Broadband prices: from £23p/m for Superfast, from £24p/m for Full Fibre 75 and from £24p/m for Full Fibre 100
- Limited time offers: no activation/setup fee on 24 month contracts
- NOW Broadband customer complaints Q3 2023: 18 complaints per 100,000 customers (less than rivals Virgin Media), but above the industry average of 15 per 100,000 (Source: Latest Ofcom Telecoms & Pay TV Complaints Report, published 25th January 2024)
- Easy ordering & switching: I was able to place my NOW Broadband order online in just over 5 minutes. If you're with the likes of BT, TalkTalk, EE or Plusnet (or any other provider that uses a BT Openreach phone line), NOW Broadband will handle the switchover for you and take care of any hassle. An engineer visit is not required for most new customers switching to NOW Broadband
3. NOW Broadband Speeds & Performance
The average NOW broadband speeds of 61Mbps for their Superfast Broadband, 75Mbps for their Full Fibre 75 and 100Mbps for their Full Fibre 100 are in-line with the average broadband speeds of the UK's main broadband suppliers, except the cable operator Virgin Media.
Superfast Broadband
With average download speeds of 61Mbps, Superfast Broadband is suitable for small households that want to browse online, do internet banking and watch catch up TV with minimal buffering.
Full Fibre 75
Perfect for larger households, Full Fibre 75 with average download speeds of 75Mbps, enables multiple users to play online games, download music and stream live TV with minimal disruptions.
Full Fibre 100
Designed for large family households using the Internet at the same time, Full Fibre 100 with average download speeds of 100Mbps enables you to do all of the above, plus stream HD TV to multiple screens and download large files.
It's worth noting that the NOW Broadband average download speeds quoted above are available to at least 50% of NOW Broadband customers at peak internet traffic times, which are 8pm-10pm, 7 days a week.
So, how do the advertised download speeds of NOW Broadband compare with their average 24-hour real world speeds? Taking a look at Ofcom's latest UK Home Broadband Performance Chart Data (published in September 2023), we can see that Sky's advertised average 61Mbps FTTC (fibre to the cabinet) speeds (in effect NOW Superfast Broadband) were 64.65Mbps with a 11.07 milliesecond (ms) latency/ping rate. It's good to see the actual NOW Broadband speeds pretty much match the speeds they advertise.
Finally, no peak time traffic management is operated by NOW Broadband, which means Internet speeds won't be reduced at these peak traffic times.
4. Compare NOW Broadband Prices
In the NOW Broadband SALE, prices start from just £23 a month for NOW Full Fibre 75 Broadband. Each package has no download usage limits and currently benefits from no setup fee. An extra £60 setup fee applies if you take a broadband or fibre package without a contract that you can cancel at anytime.
* Please note prices may change during the contract
| Provider | Package Details | Average Speed* | Download Limit | Contract Period | Monthly Cost | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Average speed*: 75Mbps, Download limit: Unlimited, £0 delivery, 1st year cost £276, £23 per month, prices may change during contract* |
NOW Full Fibre 75 Broadband (Powered By Sky) + Pay As You Use Calls To UK Landlines *For 24 months. Includes phone line rental |
75Mbps | Unlimited | 24 months |
Prices may change during contract £23.00*
1st year cost: £276.00 £0.00 delivery |
No Setup Fee Find out more at NOW Broadband Powered By Sky & Compatible With Sky TV Products |
|
Average speed*: 61Mbps, Download limit: Unlimited, £0 delivery, 1st year cost £276, £23 per month, prices may change during contract* |
NOW Superfast Broadband (Powered By Sky) + Pay As You Use Calls To UK Landlines *For 24 months. Includes phone line rental |
61Mbps | Unlimited | 24 months |
Prices may change during contract £23.00*
1st year cost: £276.00 £0.00 delivery |
No Setup Fee Find out more at NOW Broadband Powered By Sky & Compatible With Sky TV Products |
|
Average speed*: 100Mbps, Download limit: Unlimited, £0 delivery, 1st year cost £300, £25 per month, prices may change during contract* |
NOW Full Fibre 100 Broadband (Powered By Sky) + Pay As You Use Calls To UK Landlines *For 24 months. Includes phone line rental |
100Mbps | Unlimited | 24 months |
Prices may change during contract £25.00*
1st year cost: £300.00 £0.00 delivery |
No Setup Fee Find out more at NOW Broadband Powered By Sky & Compatible With Sky TV Products |
5. Comparable Services: NOW Fibre Broadband Versus BT Fibre & Sky Fibre
How does NOW Fibre Broadband stack up against some of its competitors? Use the table below to compare the speeds and prices of NOW Fibre Broadband versus BT Fibre and Sky Fibre. Use our fibre broadband checker to compare NOW Fibre Broadband with other suppliers.
* Please note prices may change during the contract
| Provider | Package Details | Average Speed* | Download Limit | Contract Period | Monthly Cost | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Average speed*: 61Mbps, Download limit: Unlimited, £0 delivery, 1st year cost £276, £23 per month, prices may change during contract* |
NOW Superfast Fibre Broadband + Pay As You Use Calls To UK Landlines *For 24 months. Includes phone line rental |
61Mbps | Unlimited | 24 months |
Prices may change during contract £23.00*
1st year cost: £276.00 £0.00 delivery |
No Setup Fee Find out more at NOW Broadband Powered By Sky & Compatible With Sky TV Products |
 Average Speed*: 61Mbps, Download limit: Unlimited, £0 setup, 1st year cost £336, £28 per month, prices may change during contract* |
 Unlimited Sky Broadband Superfast + Unlimited Sky WiFi + Sky Talk Pay As You Go Calls To UK Landlines & Mobiles *For 24 months. Includes Sky phone line rental |
61Mbps | Unlimited | 24 months |
Prices may change during contract £28.00*
1st year cost: £336.00 £0.00 setup |
No Setup Fee + FREE McAfee Internet Security Suite Trial Find out more at Sky Includes Sky Wall To Wall Wi-Fi Guarantee |
 Average speed*: 67Mbps, Download limit: Unlimited, £31.99 setup, 1st year cost £463.87, £35.99 per month, prices may change during contract* |
 BT Fibre 2 Broadband *For 24 months. No landline phone service included (can be added if required) |
67Mbps | Unlimited | 24 months |
Prices may change during contract £35.99*
1st year cost: £463.87 £31.99 setup |
Add EE TV Sport For £18p/m Find out more at BT £50 BT Reward Card To Spend |
6. NOW Broadband Home Phone Review
The price of NOW Broadband packages include home phone line rental. Customers will then only get charged for the calls they make each month on a pay as you use basis in line with NOW Broadband's latest call charges.
Other home phone calling plans are available if a customer uses their home phone regularly. The NOW Broadband Evenings and Weekends call package to UK landlines and mobiles can be added for an extra £4 a month - which I think is pretty good value. Alternatively, pay an extra £8 a month for anytime calls to UK landlines and mobiles.
7. NOW Broadband Package & Router Details
There's three NOW broadband and home phone packages available with fibre prices starting from £23 a month for average peak time speeds of 75Mbps, phone line rental and pay as you use calls to UK landlines and mobiles. We've detailed the Superfast package below with average 61Mbps speeds:
NOW Superfast With Home Phone Pay As You Use Calls
What You Get:
- Average fibre download speeds of 61Mbps
- Unlimited downloads so you can stream and download as much as you want without any additional charges
- The FREE NOW Broadband Hub 2 wireless router which is a dual-band 802.11ac router with two 1GB LAN ports (I think it could probably do with a few more ports to be honest)
- The NOW Hub 2 wireless router is an impressive router with excellent Wi-Fi range and the highest level of Wi-Fi security. From a design point of view, it looks and feels pretty sleek and is similar to the latest Sky Q Hub
- NOW Broadband Buddy Internet security providing protection from malware-infected and phishing websites, plus there's parental controls to help keep your children safe online. Seperate anti-virus software is also recommended to make sure your broadband is fully secure
- Customer support and broadband helpline available over the phone or on live chat from 8am to 11pm
- Pay as you use home phone calls to UK landlines & mobiles. This means you can make calls at anytime and only be charged for the calls you make in accordance with NOW Broadband's latest phone call tariff
- Customers can add the NOW Broadband Evenings and Weekends call package to UK landlines and mobiles for an extra £4 a month, or pay an extra £8 a month for anytime calls
- NOW Broadband phone line rental is included in the overrall NOW Broadband monthly price
- 24 month contract applies, with a no contract option available so long as a £60 setup fee is paid
- Cost is £23 per month. Prices may change during the contract
- One-off £15 setup fee which covers service activation is currently waived. £10 router delivery fee applies. If you need a new phone line installed or re-connected, NOW Broadband will advise you of the charge during the sign-up process
- Please click here for further information at NOW Broadband
8. What Channels Are In The Sky Entertainment Package?
In addition to over 300 box sets on demand, the Sky Entertainment package has the following channels available to stream live or on demand:
- Sky 1
- Sky Atlantic with shows like Dreamland and Succession
- GOLD
- Comedy Central
- Sky Arts
- ITV Encore
- Fox
- MTV
- Discovery Channel
- National Geographic Wild
- ABC Studios
9. Switching, Installation & Setup
How Easy Is It To Switch To NOW Broadband?
It should be straight-forward to change your broadband supplier to NOW Broadband. If you are switching from a non-cable provider such as BT, Plusnet, TalkTalk or EE, once you place your NOW Broadband order, the NOW Broadband switching team will take care of the rest.
They'll contact your existing supplier and manage the process of switching your phone line over to NOW Broadband remotely. You'll be sent the NOW Hub 2 Wi-Fi router in the post with a Welcome Pack. Once your phone line is successfully registered with NOW Broadband, you can then plug in your Hub Two and get up and running. Your previous broadband and phone service will be cancelled automatically, though I always check this for myself.
Naturally, NOW Broadband will also co-ordinate various dates to ensure you're not without broadband at any stage during the switching process.
It's likely that your NOW Broadband speeds will vary during the first 10 days following service activation. This happened to me and is entirely normal as the line optimises to detect the most stable broadband speeds for you.
What About Switching From Virgin Media To NOW Broadband?
When switching from a cable provider like Virgin Media, you will need to cancel your services with them yourself. Please only do this once your phone line is registered with NOW Broadband. To ensure you don't lose any service, it is advisable to keep your Virgin Media services active until the day after you transfer to NOW Broadband.
10. NOW Broadband Customer Service, Performance, Support & Phone Numbers
If you have a problem with your NOW Broadband, you can check your network status and find out how to fix your line using their online technical checks help service. The NOW Broadband Helpline team can be contacted via the live webchat service and over the phone on 03300 412473 from 8am-11pm. Average call waiting times are just 51 seconds according to Ofcom's Comparing Customer Service Report 2022. It was a bit longer for me when I tested phoning them (1 minute, 10 seconds). There's also a comprehensive range of online help guides (which I found to be very useful) and a vast online community on hand to answer your questions. All calls made to the Helpline using your NOW Broadband landline are free of charge.
Looking at customer complaint levels for NOW Broadband, Ofcom's most recent Telecoms & Pay TV Complaints Report, published in January 2024, showed 18 complaints per 100,000 NOW Broadband customers for the period Q3 2023. This is an increase on the previous quarter, but still lower than the likes of Virgin Media. It is above the industry average of 15 complaints per 100,000 customers. Read the Ofcom Q3 2023 Telecoms & Pay TV Complaints Report for further details.
11. Questions & Answers
Question 1. Is NOW Broadband WiFi any good?
Answer 1. Yes it is. It's cheaper than most of its rivals and has a no contract option.
Question 2. Is NOW Broadband or Sky Broadband better?
Answer 2. I'd say Sky Broadband is better as they also offer ultrafast full fibre (FTTP) speeds ranging from 150Mbps all the way up to 900Mbps.
Question 3. How long does it take to set up NOW Broadband?
Answer 3. From the point of ordering, it takes about 2 weeks to get set up with NOW Broadband. This can sometimes be longer if a new phone line needs to be installed by an engineer.
12. Our Final Verdict On NOW Broadband
| NOW Broadband Review - Our Final Comment And Rating |
|---|
| Final Rating - 4 out of 5 |
|
The NOW Broadband packages, including phone line rental, are shaking up the market with full fibre prices starting from just £23 a month on a 24 month contract. There's also a handy broadband with no contract option available with certain packages, though this has a £60 setup fee. Each package has an unlimited download usage allowance and feature average download speeds that are in line with the speeds of the other major UK broadband suppliers. With average fibre download speeds of 100Mbps available, the NOW Broadband packages serve up a range of value for money propositions that are certainly worth considering. Compatible Sky TV products can easily be added. |
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If you're unsure as to some of the terms used on this page, please read our beginner's guide to broadband or our guide to switching supplier.
Important note
We are not NOW Broadband, NOW or Sky plc. We do not provide broadband, phone or TV connections ourselves. Should you have a problem with your NOW Broadband order or connection, we advise you to contact NOW Broadband or NOW directly.
We specialise in offering you independent advice, reviews and tools that should help you choose the right broadband provider and package for you. We provide this impartial service to you for free, whilst being paid a small commission from each ISP we generate a new customer for - so we are like an Independent Financial Advisor. You do not pay any extra for your chosen broadband, calls or TV package by signing up through this site.
About The Author, Steve Tattersall
Steve Tattersall is a broadband technology writer with 20 years experience within the Internet industry. Based in Hampshire, England, he founded the BBC recognised broadband information site, BroadbandInternetUk.com, in 2004 and is currently the Director Of Marketing & Operations. During this time he has helped thousands of people across the UK with their Internet requirements by compiling a comprehensive range of broadband information, comparison tools and guides, all delivered on BroadbandInternetUk.com.
A graduate of Buckinghamshire New University (Brunel Business School) with a first class honours degree in Business, Steve has first hand experience of working for a broadband provider, having had a previous career at the broadband supplier NTL. Following its merger with rival Telewest, NTL is now known as Virgin Media, one of the UK's leading broadband, phone & TV providers.
If you would like to contact Steve, please visit the contact us page or follow him on Twitter, LinkedIn and Quora. You can also find out more about BroadbandInternetUk.com on our about us page.
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